There have been moments in the past six months when I have felt like I was about to lose my mind. As if a pandemic weren’t enough, we are now in the last month before the 2020 election. To be honest, it’s as if the 2016 election never even ended. Am I the only one who feels this way?
The level of anger, name calling, demonizing, and hyperbole on both sides have been flat out depressing. Listening to it day in and day out is demoralizing. It’s very dark – and it is not OK.
I don’t need to tell you – there is much about the political climate we are experiencing right now that is seriously not OK. What is a Christian to do?
Imperfect as it is, what has helped me the most – along with turning off the news – has been to stay focused on Biblical truth, and to watch my own attitudes and thinking. I need to keep my head straight and listen for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. I often need reminding – but peace comes when I remember who I am in Christ and who He is in me.
You see, we are the ones who stand on the rock. We are the ones who follow the God of peace, not a God of confusion. (1 Corinthians 4:33)
He has set up His church on this earth, to be a light in the darkness with a big old neon WELCOME sign on the open door. He promises us that the gates of hell will not prevail upon it. (Matthew 16:18) In other words – we’re good, even if this old world is not.
This is nothing new in the grand scheme of things. Christians have not only survived, but thrived in morally decaying cultures for over 2000 years.
As A.W. Tozer writes,
The Church’s mightiest influence is felt when she is different from the world in which she lives.
Christ followers have carried out the great commission under godly leaders as well as the ungodly. Those who have gone before us understood that ultimately it is the Father who leads, protects and provides – not the government or any human being.
That isn’t to say we bury our heads in the sand and pretend there isn’t an important decision being made on November 3rd. We must be informed and prayed up before we decide who will receive our vote.
I love this verse from Isaiah 30:
Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Isaiah 30:21
Now, of course, Isaiah isn’t referring to Democrats and Republicans when he speaks of the right and the left! Instead, he is communicating that no matter where you and I go, or what decisions we need to make, the Lord will guide us.
One commentary states the word, ‘word’ in this verse means, “our conscience, guided by the Holy Spirit”. The word ‘walk’ in the original Hebrew means “to lead, to escort, to bring.”
So, when we ask for His wisdom regarding these troubling days, His Spirit will guide our conscience, giving us direction to not only walk along the path He has set, but to lead, bringing others along too. And, we are not leading others to our way of thinking, but to His.
To flip Tozer’s quote around: We have an opportunity to greatly influence the culture for the Gospel when we handle ourselves with calm, peace, confidence, and kindness in the middle of crazy. What a contrast!
We can have confidence, because He is sovereign. We can experience calm instead of being anxious, because He is our peace (Ephesians 2:14). We can extend kindness, because He has been so very kind to us.
And, if we remain in this mindset, we can set the tone instead of joining in on all the fretting, vitriol and chaos. If we are to be an influencer, let’s use our influence to lead people toward the saving grace of Jesus.
We carry on, just as we always have. We move our eyes away from the darkness and on to the light. We ask God for wisdom and clarity. We seek peace, reconciliation, and healing, wherever it is absent.
Look, we all have strong opinions and views that are shaped by our life experiences, and hopefully by our faith, which is instructed by His word. But, I often need reminding that Jesus is not a Republican or Democrat. He is not right or left. He is a reconciler, and wherever He is, there is peace.
He is our peace – and no matter who wins the election, He is still the King.
Sister, if you too need a reminder of how to walk in faith during this chaotic time, there is no better place to find it than in Psalm 146.
Don’t put your confidence in powerful people;
there is no help for you there.
When they breathe their last, they return to the earth,
and all their plans die with them.
But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper,
whose hope is in the Lord their God. Psalm 146:3-5
If you have time, read the whole chapter. It is beautiful. God’s word lights our path and shows us how to live wisely and well.
Sending love to all,
